Introduce the Sunday Division Team Boasting 1,800 English Top Division Matches

Wythenshawe Vets bench during a match
The bench for the team Vets during a six-two win versus Collegiate Old Boys on 19 October (from left to right) - Oumar Niasse, Papiss Cisse, Marcel Edwards, Blake Norton, Maynor Figueroa, Dean Warburton and Emile Heskey

What do you boost a outstanding veteran side that have secured back-to-back championships, featuring a league-cup double boasting 30 victories from 32 matches?

Sign a raft of former professionals who have played at the elite level of club football and international soccer as you pursue more honors.

One Greater Manchester side fields an non-professional veterans team with 9 former top-flight footballers in their active roster.

Two Hundred Twenty-Two Top Division Goals, Three Hundred Twenty-Five Global Appearances

Wythenshawe Vets Over-35s are located in south the city and play in the Cheshire-based Vets Division Top Division.

Their lineup this campaign includes 9 former Premier League players, with a total 1,801 top-flight games.

The high-profile roster also contains 222 Premier League scores and over 320 international caps.

The squad include one forward, who netted 37 scores in over 100 appearances for Newcastle United after joining them for nine million pounds from German league side SC Freiburg in January 2012.

He had his debut for Wythenshawe in their last home-field game against defending champions Collegiate Old Boys and scored all six scores in a 6-2 victory - featuring a 32-minute first-half hat-trick.

Wythenshawe's roster for this season also features former professionals such as English and Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, Hull and Burnley FC winger George Boyd, Toffees striker Oumar Niasse, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa, City duo Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha and top-flight championship winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.

Together, the former Premier League players have claimed fifteen major honors and moved for total transfer sums of around £123m.

Famous Figures and International Stars

Stephen Ireland in action
Stephen Ireland earned six Irish appearances, scoring four scores

Stephen Ireland began turning out for the side during preseason this season through close friend and present Wythenshawe teammate Blake Norton, and the ex- Irish midfielder then asked other former professionals, who all compete in a midweek nine-a-side game, to participate.

Former Senegal striker Oumar Niasse, who netted 12 scores in 65 Premier League games for the Toffees and still attends their home games, also made his first appearance versus the opposition - who are located in the city and wear an Blue training kit as their strip.

Oumar Niasse playing for Everton
He featured for Everton from 2016 and 2020

"A friend Stephen Ireland said 'join and have a game, it's a laugh'," said the striker.

"Then he informed me we were facing a side from Liverpool and the surprise I had when I saw them sporting Blue shirts - I say this is strange for me!

"If you still love football and you feel you can still play, wherever you can play, what are you going to do?

"The spectators who come and watch are happy and to make a day if they see us competing there and to ask us queries - it's more like the joy of us getting somewhere we can play, with organisation of course."

Such is the squad depth at Wythenshawe, Niasse made his debut at full-back.

"It's a bit unusual but then, I enjoy sprinting and just move forward - I'm not defending that much," he added.

"I tell my defender 'I'm not staying' and that I'm just going to continue attacking.

"The running is what I'm seeking. It's enjoyable."

Maynor Figueroa in action
Ex- Wigan Athletic full-back Maynor Figueroa is turning out for Wythenshawe

'Surreal Experience

Along with Cisse's six scores on debut, Stephen Ireland has scored eight in three games for the side, while George Boyd scored 5 on his debut appearance and Joleon Lescott, a defender by position, notched a hat-trick in one game up front.

The team are leading of the Premier Tier with 3 wins from 3 and a GD of plus nineteen.

Paul Barrow, thirty-eight, who plays on the flank for the opposition, faced ex- Latics defender Maynor Figueroa on Sunday - and had to tell his young boy who Heskey was.

Figueroa has played at 2 World Cups for his country, in as well as playing in over 200 top-flight games.

"It was spreading like a rumor they had these ex-Premier League stars," remarked the player.

"I felt I was a little awestruck playing against Figueroa to be honest.

"Even Heskey came on and he's got 60-odd English caps.

"We held our own for a solid 20 minutes but then we had a man dismissed and it was hard.

"We literally have not ceased talking about it - I was phoning my mum and brother on the journey home.

"They were all really nice, shaking our hands after the game - it was like playing a group of regular fellas.

"Now we are eager for the second match."

We Will Still Win the Title'

The manager manages the opposition vets side, who secured the Premier Tier championship the previous campaign, along with Paul Maguire.

"We scored 1-0 ahead and had a

Tom Reeves
Tom Reeves

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in software development and emerging technologies.

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